^..^^^nd  its  Headers. 

:VA    >SCHf.f.LlHE. 


I 


)^tiiWiyii^^zn*iii 


^he  Bible 


AND    nS      READERS 


EVA     SCHEELINE. 


"  Go,  lictle  bark.     1  Bend  thee  out 
Upon  the  Future's  heaving  eea, 
And  watch  thee  on  thy  trembling  route — 
For  thou  art  all  in  all  to  me." 


San  Francisco. 


P.   J.    UFAI.Y,    PrUMKIIER 


lt»«. 


'^OPyrffi'httd.  I89e! 


James  H.  Barry,  Printer,  429  Montgomery  Street. 


,3-1 


TO    THE 

g  xVATlVK     DAUGIITEKS    OF    CALIFORN'IA 

>^ 

oc  FROM 

-It 
cc 

3  A    NATIVE     DAUGHTER. 


'•isi )  I  i  I 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Preface 7 

Introduction    11 

CHAPTER         I.— The  Bible's  View  of  the 

Importance  of  Man. .  .23 
CHAPTER      II.— The     Mighty     Scientific 

Frown   30 

CHAPTER     III.— Three      Conceptions     of 

Cod    37 

CHAPTKH      IV.— Gospel  Traditions 46 

CHAP'I'KR        v.— Ditlerent  Theories  of  In- 
spiration     54 

CHAFFEI?      VT.— The  Afrc  ef  Hie  Earth .  .  .«(> 
('fIAI''l'i:if    VII.— Ifccjipilulnjion     (if* 


P  li  E  F  A  C  E 


It  is  probable  tli(^  impression  that  the 
Bible  teaches  contradictions,  is  wider  and 
deeper  than  the  facts  warrant.  If  so, 
pn^acliors  themselves,  and  scientists,  are 
largely  to  blame.  Preachers  too  often 
think  they  infallibly  know  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible,  while  scientists  too  often 
think  ilic.\  inrallibly  know  the  teachings 
(tf  I  lie  I'.ililc  and  (»!' scicnrc  also.  These  are 
large  snbj<'ets,  an<l  it  may  not  be  deemed 
liaisli  r«»i-  nic  to  inlimale  thai  tlxM-e  is  room 
foi-  mistake  in  liicsc  matters.  Ol"  course, 
ev«My  thinking  jx-rson  will  a<lniil  thai  he 
entei'tains  sdnic  cn-oni'ctns  hclicf.  No 
really  sane  man  belie\es  he  is  infallible. 
While,  as  a  matfer  of  fact,  cveiy  one  holds 


8  Preface. 

some  erroneous  belief,  no  honest  man  holds 
one  conscientiously.  To  a  man  the  whole 
body  of  his  beliefs  is  true.  He,  therefore, 
believes  some  error  to  be  true.  It  is  re- 
quired of  every  man,  therefore,  that  he  be 
open  to  conviction. 

We  read  into  the  Bible,  or  between  the 
lines,  meanings  found  by  scientists  of  later 
days.  So  of  metaphysical  systems,  Philo 
found  Plato  in  Moses,  and  the  "Christian 
Fathers"  found  the  warfare  of  souls  in  the 
tramps  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  as  well 
as  in  the  battles.  So  the  geological  the- 
ory is  taught  by  Moses.  So  the  evolution 
theory  is  countenanced,  at  least,  in  the 
Bible.  It  would  be  taught  outright  if  the 
theory  of  evolution  were  established  as  a 
fact. 

I  believe  that  it  is  chiefly  because  claims 
are  made  for  the  Bible  which  it  does  not 
make  itself,  that  so  much  indifference  pre- 
vails regarding  its  contents. 

By  the  word  Bible,  I  designate  the  Old 


Preface.  9 

and    New    Testaraents    in    their    original 
tongues. 

I  ask  my  readers  to  approach  the  study 
of  my  theme,  if  not  free  from  bias,  at  least 
willing  to  investigate  impartially,  and  to 
accept  that  which  is  manifestly  true. 

Truth  asks  only  a  dispassionate  hearing, 
and  scorns  to  be  wooed  and  won  by  him 
who  grants  it  less. 

With  the  sole  purpose  of  contributing 
something  to  the  steady  advance  of  truth, 
I  am, 

Respectfully  and  sincerely. 

Til  10    AITMOi:. 


I  y  T  K  O  I>  U  C  T  O  R  Y  . 


WIhmi  tli<'  forefathers  of  some  modern 
critics  of  Moses  were  naked  savages,  con- 
testing witli  fist,  diib,  stone,  noose,  and 
spear,  with  ^\\]^\  beasts,  for  the  mastery, 
the  chihlicji  of  Israel  had  overthrown  dy- 
ii;isries,  snbjiiiiatcd  kijii;(loins,  built  cities, 
:i)hI  |»('i'Vii(lc(l  tlic  cailli  \\itli  the  idea  of 
the  sacrcdiK'ss  of  iioiiic,  and  ihc  oiiciicss  of 
(Joel.  \\'ii('!i  he  was  wiiliii.u  of  the  ( 're- 
aloi-,  aii<l  III. 111.  ihc  soil  of  (loil,  iiiaih'  in  his 
iiiiaiic,  jimI  |»ro]thcs\  lilt;  Ihc  doiiiinioii  of 
man  over  ;ill  niiiiMhuic  Ihiniis,  llicv  1i:hI 
scai'cclv  ciioimh  IniTc  in  ilieir  spines  to 
stand  (Tcet,  lo  i;a/<c  witii  diinili  wondci- 
into  I  h<'  ilea  \ ens. 

Thiit  <iod  did  iiol.  dii-cclly  or  i  iMlirecl  ly, 
make  re\  cliif  ions  of  hinisclf,  liis  woi-hl.  ;ind 


12  Introductory. 


man,  before  the  time  of  Moses,  there  is 
no  evidence  to  prove,  either  in  the  Bible 
or  out  of  it.  Speech  and  writing  existed 
centuries  before  the  time  of  Moses*;  man 
was  as  dear  to  the  lieart  of  the  Father 
before  Moses  was  born,  as  since;  man  was 
as  ignorant,  as  needy,  as  sinful,  as  help- 
less, as  undone,  then  as  since  then,  and 
God  changes  not!  It  Is  unequivocally  de- 
clared that  God  "spake  bv  the  mouth  of 
his  holy  prophets,"  who  have  heen  since  the 
world  began.  Luther  says  "many  things 
were  w^ritten  and  described  ere  Moses  was 
born." 

But  let  us  suppose  that  Moses,  sirk  at 
soul  of  the  lizard  and  calf  gods  of  Egypt, 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  write  of 
God  and  creation;  or,  let  ns  suppose  that 
he,   inspired   by  the  thought   of  God    and 


*  The  78th  Psalm  shows  that  history  came  down  in  tradi- 
tion—  "our  fathers  have  told  us."  Lost  books  of  the  Bible; 
also.  Book  of  Warx  (Xu7n.  21 :  14),  Book  of  .lasher  in  .Joshua, 
10 : 1.3. 

The  Book  of  Annals  is  mentioned  more  than  thirty  times  in 
the  Book  of  Kings. 


Introductory  ■  13 

good,  so  wrote;    in  either  case,  the  mean- 
ing of  what  he  wrote  remains  the  same. 

Suppose  a  mnltitude  of  people  who  are 
skives  in  Egypt.  Let  that  condition  ex- 
ist for  a  few  centuries.  Suppose,  now, 
that  they  shall  leave  Egypt.  Their  labor 
had  been  profitable  to  their  owners.  They 
were  not  released  on  economic  grounds, 
but  their  presence  in  Egypt  had  become 
injurious,  even  blighting,  to  the  dominant 
race.  Tliat  is  the  result  of  slavery.  It  was 
not,  however,  until  the  blight  reached  the 
upper  classes,  that  they  were  let  go  by 
their  masters.  After  releasing  the  slaves, 
the  Prince  of  Egypt  changed  iiis  mind,  and 
|HirsiHMl  tliciii.  Sn|)|K>s<'  :iii  unarmed  mul- 
titude «»f  men,  women,  and  cliildreu,  holly 
])UJ*siicd  by  MM  ;ii*iiiy  on  horseback.  They 
;n-<-  liciiinicd  in  on  ;ill  si(h'S.  Are  you  i-eady 
n(»\v,  in  ihon;ziil,  lo  wiliH'Ss  ;i  whoh'sale 
hntrh^'iy  ?  <Iod  loibid.  The  sea  before 
them  must  open  lo  h'l  llu'in  ('S(;i|m'.  It 
matters   not    whet  Ik  r   thcv   iiirived    al    the 


M  Introductory. 


precise  moment  when  tlie  waters  ebbed  by 
the  law  of  nature,  that  is,  by  God  acting 
through  nature,  or  whether  He  caused  a 
wind  to  divide  the  sea.  The  fact  is,  they 
did  escape.  If  these  helpless,  hapless,  and 
innocent  victims  had  been  put  to  the  sword 
while  in  an  honest  effort  to  acquire  peace- 
ful liberty,  that  would  have  been  a  dark 
problem  to  explain,  beside  which  the 
thought  that  God  made  the  winds  and  the 
waves  serve  Him,  is  luminous. 

Now,  is  the  moral  sense  satisfied  simply 
with  the  escape  of  the  pursued?  What  of 
their  selfish  and  lustful  pursuers?  Let 
them  droicu:  that  is  as  little  as  can  ap- 
pease man's  sense  of  justice.  If  theolo- 
gians have  followed  the  drowned  host  far- 
ther than  death,  there  is  no  warrant  in  the 
story  for  that. 

Naturally,  the  people  who  left  Egypt 
had  a  human  leader.  Name  him  Moses. 
A  mixed  multitude  followed  him.  He 
leads    them  into  a  wilderness.     He  must 


Introductory.  15 


control  his  followers.  His  will  must  be 
supreme.  He  must  have  power  to  execute 
it,  and  also  execute  it  unhesitatinj»ly  on 
occasions  of  need.  He  has  no  ordinary 
task.  Did  he  control  this  people  unaided? 
This  people  wlio  certainly  had  not  ini- 
pro\«Ml  \\\  the  lash?  This  dissatisfied  and 
sonu'W  hat  sullen  people?  If  Moses  con- 
trolled them  unaided,  he  stands  on  a  dizzy 
pedestal  far  above  the  greatest  leaders 
with  whom  history  brinp:s  us  into  acquain- 
tance. 

Not  only  <lid  Moses  ((tntrol  lliis  mixed 
iiiiilt  it  iide,  hilt  he  evoked  order  oiil  of  an- 
archy, and  established  sysleniaii(  liaining 
and  discipline  anions  Ihem.  Lei  ns  try  to 
ima^e  the  coiidilioiis,  and  see  what  was 
ie(|nired. 

Tln-re  is  a  ninhitndc  li\inu  out  d(n>rs, 
slce|iiiiii  in  tfiils.  Tlicy  needed  a  general 
cliail  of  conijiicl.  That  rii;iil  needed 
a  ni  ln-nt  ic;it  jdii  as  sii|tr'eiiic  :ind  indexible. 
He    j;i\-cs    the     |M'op|c    "'i'cn     W'onis;"     he 


16  Introductory. 


claims  be  received  them  from  God.  These 
"Ten  Words"  rebuked  idolatry,  lying,  lust, 
dishonesty,  in  stern  and  uncompromising 
tones.  True,  some  of  these  "Ten  Words" 
were  kuowu  doAvn  in  Egypt,  but  they  were 
known  as  dictates  of  policy;  known  from 
a  utilitarian  standpoint. 

Moses  gives  these,  and  others,  unknown 
in  Egypt,  as  alive  with  the  utterance  and 
power  of  God.  He  needed  more  than  to 
be  learned  in  all  the  learning  of  Egypt  to 
put  behind  the  "Ten  Words"  the  aAvful 
majesty  of  the  One  Eternal.  A  priestly 
invention,  this?  All  the  priests  in  Egypt 
had  not  the  capacity  to  make  the  inven- 
tion. He  was  immeasurably  the  superior 
of  the  priests  of  Egypt  before  then — then, 
and  even  down  to  the  present  day.  It  is 
easier  to  believe  that  he  made  a  just  claim 
— that  God  did  speak  to  his  servant, 
Moses. 

But  it  is  in  human  nature  to  violate 
moral    law,    and    commit    crimes.     Moses 


Introductory.  17 


was  dealing  with  man,  not  only  as  an  in- 
diyidual,  but  as  a  community.  Every 
crime  possible  to  man  must  be  depicted, 
analyzed,  defined,  and  their  punishments 
allotted.  This  is  not  a  pleasant  duty,  nor 
does  it  make  pleasant  reading.  It  results 
in  the  penal  code  of  a  people.  If  theolo- 
gians have  thought  that  the  penal  code 
of  the  Israelites  was  to  be  read  in  public, 
to  men,  women,  and  children,  they  thought 
wrongly;  the  thought  is  not  in  the  code. 
If  "infidels"  have  objected  to  the  code 
being  published  at  all,  IIk'v  have  made  an 
ignorant  objection. 

But  it  is  better  to  prevent  <  liiuc  than  to 
punish  it;  so  this  should  receive  consider- 
ation from  Moses  in  liis  mighty  problems 
in  IIh'  wilderness.  If  :i  stjilc  of  niind  posi- 
tiv<'  against  crime  could  he  hi-ouglit  about 
— if  the  Sinless  One  would  ;ii<l  man!  So 
Moses  s(»uglit  to  l»i-iiig  his  pec.ph'  into  ser- 
vice to  (lod.  lie  iiicnlcjiled  wdiship.  Peo- 
ple niust  have  forms  of  worship.     He  gave 


18  Introductory. 


them  forms.  These  forms  are  so  given  as 
to  cultivate  order,  exactness,  ideas  of 
beauty,  grandeur,  holiness;  and  behind 
the  form  stood  the  Former;  they  were 
types  of  thought  to  impress  in  man  true 
conceptions  of  God.  Moses  inculcated 
obedience  to  God,  and  love  to  the  neigh- 
bor. That  he  wrought  wisely  is  evident, 
for  he  laid  an  eternal  moral  basis  under 
his  people. 

Yet,  let  him  do  his  best,  man  does  fall 
into  folly.  "Shall  Gold  hold  out  against 
man  forever?  Shall  God  not  pity?  Yea, 
he  shall;  but  man  must  lay  down  his  will- 
ful rebellion."  To  such  "the  Lord  will  pro- 
claim himself  as  merciful,  long  suffering, 
plenteous  in  grace?"  This  idea  was  sought 
to  be  brought  about  by  the  ceremonies  of 
atonement.  In  after  years,  through  no 
fault  of  Moses,  some  Israelites  thought 
that  there  was  virtue  in  sacrifices  in  and 
of  themselves.  Isaiah  rebuked  this  in 
stern    tones.     He  set  the  sacrifices    upon 


Introductory.  19 


their  true  Mosaic  foimdation,  as  being 
iiieaut  as  the  yisibk^  expressious  of  inward 
efforts  at  cleansing,  and  worthless  without 
the  latter.     (Is.  1:10-18.) 

The  people  in  the  wilderness  must  have 
a  Civil  Code  also.  Moses  gave  them  a  Civil 
Code.  This  code  takes  property  as  it  was, 
recognizes  the  rights  of  property,  and 
wliile  slavery  was  an  institution  in  the 
oicUm-  of  things,  made  it  less  grievous. 

\(»r  did  Moses  pretend  to  be  infallible 
ill  Ills  methods  of  administrating  the  gov- 
enmieiil.  He  was  a  teachable,  humble 
111:111,  as  is  manifest  by  the  readiness  with 
wliicli  he  ;i(l<»pt<Ml  ail  iiiijtrovcment  sug- 
gcsKMl  hy  his  r;illi<'i-iii-l:i\v,  .I('tlii-(»,  priest 
of  Midiaii.     (Ivx.  1S:1,  \:\-2{\.) 

r.iit,  a  |«'<»plc  living  out  doors,  in  a 
wihIcriM'ss,  ;ii'c  |i('(iiliiirly  liable  lo  sickness 
and  coniauioii,  arising  lioni  any  iiciilccl 
(»f  clcanliiu'ss.  Tlicrr  slioiild  ix'  broad  and 
(•<ini|>i<'lii'nsi\c  rules  laid  down  lor  llicni, 
under    the    streiigesl     |(<tssildi'    anllieiilica 


20  Introductory. 


tion.  Moses  did  so.  Only  the  foolish  think 
he  ought  not  to  have  done  this.  Only  silly 
people  think  they  were  given  to  be  read 
from  tlie  pulpit,  or  in  family  worship. 

During  the  stay  in  the  wilderness,  some 
object  lessons  in  crime  were  enacted.  Man 
is  not  seen  at  his  best  in  these  matters. 
But  man,  if  he  is  to  be  known  as  he  is, 
must  be  seen  at  his  worst.  That  would 
not  be  a  book  of  life,  onl}-  a  make-believe, 
which  represented  man  in  one  phase  alone. 
We  insist  that  the  ugly  aspects  of  man  are 
not  meant  for  public  exhibition.  We  in- 
sist that  only  in  the  administration  of  laic 
and  justice,  or  to  aid  both,  should  they  be 
dragged  into  liglit.  They  were  told  in  this 
connection.  They  were  the  reports  of  criminal 
procedures.  He  sins  against  man,  who,  for 
purposes  of  evil,  exposes  deformities  of 
body  <»r  mind  to  the  public. 

Men  in  war  are  not  seen  to  the  best  ail- 
vantage.  Even  a  good  man  cannot  fight 
in  the  best  of   humor.     He  will  do  things 


Introductory.  21 


then  that  misrepresent  the  real  man  he  is. 
When  he  misrepresents  himself,  if  he  says 
anything  about  God  or  man,  he  will  mis- 
represent them. 

If  a  people  enter  a  strange  land  which  is 
inhabited,  the  strangers  ask  questions,  and 
begin  aggressing.  Those  who  enter  must 
fight  or  (|uit  the  land.  Should  the  Israel- 
ites go  back  to  Egypt?  The  earth  belongs 
to  man,  but  not  to  one  man,  nor  a  race  of 
men.  If  the  new  comers  had  to  fight,  what 
could  put  more  nerve  into  them  than  to 
tell  them  that  "the  Lord  is  on  their  side?" 
Moses  did  right  in  so  assuring  his  people. 
E\<'iifs  h;i\('  sh(»\\ii  he  \\;is  riglil.  The  na- 
lious  ilijit  ripposcd  liiiii  iiii  mil,  wiiile  Israel, 
thoii^ili  srjii  icicd,  is  yel  helping  to  shape 
f(»I-  lioiid    the  df'Sl  iiijcs  ^\{'  liiiili. 


"As  a  man,  man  is  the  creature  with  whom  I  have  to  do, 
and  the  varieties  of  his  character  interest  me  more  than  all  the 
possible  varieties  of  mosses,  shells,  and  fossils."— Hannah 
More. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE    BIBLE. 

To  whom  written  and  to  wliom  not  written. 

Tli(?  Bible  was  not  written  to  Atheists. 
It  assumes  the  existence  of  God.  It  was 
not  wriltoii  for  Deists.  It  assumes  that 
(mmI  (Iocs  coninuinicate  witli  man.  It  does 
iioi  iliiiiU  ;i  denial  of  this  worth  a  mo- 
niciit's  cniisidci  alion. 

Il  \\;is  not  written  \\>v  A^iiosties.  Zo- 
jdiiir  is  rhiiiiK'd  ;is  (tiic  ol'  this  cijiss.  The 
r.ihh-  iciiiidiiitcs  /opli.-ir  (dob.  12:7-1>).  An 
iinl<no\\ii  ;iiid  ;il»soiiit('l V  iMi l< tKtwjildc  <l<»d 
is  |»r;irt  icjiii  \  the  SMIilc  ;is  Ilo  (i(>(K  .Mll(dl 
N'ss  \\;is  tin-  r.ilth'  w  lit  ten  loi-  (liosc  Aj^ncts- 
tics  who,  wliih'  liuldiii^  that  the  l<'irst 
(":iiis«'  is  iiiil.H'iirn  mid   iiiilnnirdhh .   pi'oceod 


24  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

to  tell  us  about  him;  how  he  brought  man 
and  the  world  to  their  present  condition, 
and  how  he  must  govern  them  in  the  fu- 
ture, or  forfeit  their  approval. 

The  Bible  is  written  to  Theists.  In  its 
opening  sentence  it  assumes  the  existence 
of  God  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  the  ex- 
istence of  a  belief  in  God  by  man  as  funda- 
mental. Nowhere  does  it  recognize  that  a 
reasonable  doubt  of  God's  existence  is 
possible,  and  where  one  is  mentioned  as 
denying  that  there  is  a  God,  he  is  de- 
nounced as  a  fool. 

True  to  these  necessary  assumptions, 
the  Bible,  everywhere,  assumes  that  man  is 
a  Theist.  It  is  thus  true  to  man's  history 
ujxm  the  earth.  Man  could  not  be  a  poly- 
theist  without  believing  in  God,  any  more 
than  a  man  could  believe  in  the  multipli- 
cation table  without  believing  in  a  unit. 
Man  could  not  even  be  an  idolator  without 
believing  in  God,  for  an  idol  would  have 
no  meaning,  unless  it  were  taken  to  be  a 
God,  or  to  represent  a  God. 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  25 

Upon  these  essential  assumptions  the 
Bible  states  that  nature  is  alive  with  the 
idea  of  (rod;  so  nature  is  represented  as 
declaring  the  glory  of  Go<l,  showing  His 
handiwork,  and  manifesting  His  eternal 
power  and  God  head.  It  does  not  sav  that 
these  can  be  inferred  from  nature  by  a 
process  of  reasoning,  but  that  they  are 
direct  and  immediate  communications 
from  nature — God's  nature  to  man,  God's 
son.  From  the  Bible  standpoint,  an  argu- 
ment t(»  i>i'ove  the  existence  of  God  is  an 
nnnecessaiy  impertinence. 

Think  of  a  man  argning  lo  pntM-  llial 
the  snn  sliincsl  'Plic  sun  |»r(»\('s  ilscif  by 
a  <lii-<M'|  ;i  |)pca  I  lo  man. 

Hence,  I  In-  r»il»l('  simply  pi-ocrcds  (o 
make  God  nioD-  fnlly  known  lo  man,  and 
this  in\'oi\cs  \\\c  idea  liial  man  ran  lest 
r<'\  clal  ion.  According  lo  iln-  llilih-,  man  is 
God's  son.  I'fom  lliis  stamlpftini  wo 
should  cxpoci  ijini  nioic  spacr  ;i  ml  coiisid- 
ciMlion  woiiM  he  gi\('ii  to  man  ihan  to  all 
((IImt  snhiccls,  ami   thai   al!  oihoi-  snbjccls 


26  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

should  be  viewed  principally  as  they  are 
related  to  man.  One  line  is  devoted  to 
making  the  stars.  "lie  made  the  stars, 
also."  Details  are  given  in  relation  to 
making  man.  The  earth  is  exalted  as 
man's  home,  above  the  remainder  of  the 
universe.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  Breath- 
ing space  on  the  earth  is  worth  more  to 
man  than  all  the  "milky  way."  The  sun, 
the  moon,  the  stars,  are  bodies  of  light.  It 
matters  not  whether  they  borrow  light,  or 
have  it  in  their  nature,  they  give  it  to  man. 
The}'  ])erform  uses  for  him.  They  are 
much,  besides,  but  they  are  mostly  man's 
servants.  If  they  had  no  relation  to  man, 
they  would  have  no  existence  to  him.  The 
Bible  is  written  in  the  assumption  that 
man  is  the  greatest  being  in  this  universe. 
The  assumption  is  tnie  in  fact,  and  must 
be  held  true  in  theory,  or  man  will  lose 
himself  in  his    insignificance*  among    the 


*  Ps.,  8  :  3-4.  '•  When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy 
fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained,  what 
is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  and  the  son  of  man,  that 
Ihou  vlsltest  him? 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  27 

rocks,  inquiring-  their  age,  or  among  little 
bugs  with  long  names,  or  among  the  fos- 
sils. Whether  we  will  or  not,  man,  to 
whom  nothing  exists  which  cannot  mani- 
fest itself  through  his  senses  or  faculties, 
is  the  central  fact  in  the  universe,  and  any 
revehiTioii  which  should  regard  him  other- 
wise would  he  false,  and  any  science  which 
should  iciijii'd  hi  III  otherw'ise  is  false.  The 
earth,  the  heavens,  the  universe,  from 
man's  view,  wei-e  made  to  serve  him.  The 
sun,  the  iiiooii,  niid  stars,  shine  for  him, 
water  Mows,  hre  burns,  ihe  earth  spins, 
gravity  attracts,  grass  grows — all  things 
are  and  do  I'oi-  him.  'IMie\  may  (h»  much, 
J)esi(h'S,  ;iiid  foi-  iiuiiiy  oliieis,  bill  I  hey  do 
these  things  lor  iiini  ;is  iiiiich  ;is  it  he  were 
the  only  being  on  Hie  cniili.  The  scientist 
seems  to  lliinls-  tlmt  ;i  ring  ai-«»iiii<l  Salui-ii 
is  of  iiKdr  im|ioit;in(('  lluiii  man.  When 
he  w  riles  ;i  l»o(d<  <»!'  111:111,  he  di\  id<'s  il  soni«'- 
what  asl'ollows:  l-'irsl,  not  liing;  seroiidly, 
prolo])Iasiii;    liiiidly,  evolution;    roiiilhly, 


28  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 


variations;  fiftlily,  missing  links — then, 
after  dizzy  ages  have  transpired,  man,  pro- 
toplasm plus,  and  finally  dust,  nought! 

To  man,  man  is  the  center  and  circum- 
ference of  the  universe,  and  a  real  book  of 
man  must  recognize  this  inevitable  fact. 
To  man  there  is  nothing  above  him  but  the 
One  who  is  in  him  and  of  him,  as  cause 
and  destiny;  who  can  be  conceived  of  as 
God,  only  as  first  conceived  of  through 
man.  Let  a  man  but  really  believe  that  he 
is  a  son  of  God,  and  systems  of  worlds  are 
flecks  of  dirt  compared  to  him.  The  whole 
universe  waits  on  man.  Man,  being  able 
to  think  and  suffer,  is  of  more  importance 
to  God  than  all  the  dirt,  elements,  or 
atoms  aside  from  him,  past,  present,  or 
future.  The  Bible  was  wise  when  it  made 
man  and  his  home  paramount  to  all  else, 
terrestrial  and  celestial.  That  ancient 
sase*  who  said  that  man  was  made  for  a 


*Ps..8:5.    "For  thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower  than  the 
angels,  and  hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honor." 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  29 

little  time  lower  than  the  angels,  was  not 
on  his  knees  to  ought  except  God.  There 
is  naught  in  the  Heavens  or  in  the  Deep^ 
that  man  can  rationalh^  prostrate  himself 
before,  except  the  Maker  of  Man.  God  did, 
God  should,  talk  to  man  as  to  the  son  of 
the  KinQ-  Eternal. 


"Is  there  in  us  mind  and  reason,  and  shall  there  be  no  mind 
elsewhere  in  the  universe?"— Socrates. 


CHAPTEK  II. 
THE    TIME    DEMON.       EVOLUTION. 

What  does  time  do?  Notliiug.  What  is 
time?  Only  a  hollow  somewhat  in  which 
things  are  done.  We  get  down  before  this 
Time  Demon  and  worship  him.  This  ap- 
pears even  in  our  proverbs.  Time  cures 
all  sorrows;  time  makes  all  things  even. 
Empty  nonsense!  During  time  all  sorrows 
may  be  cured  by  a  curer;  during  time  Jus- 
tice may  make  things  even. 

So  the  scientist  is  down  on  his  knees 
before  the  '^rime  Demon.  Grant  him  but  a 
few  cycles  of  time,  and  a  tad-pole  can  be- 
come a  man!  If  the  tad-pole  has  not  in 
him  the  essential  elements  of  man,  all  eter- 
nity can  not  bring  them  out  Time  is  not 
a  cause.     Eternitv  is  not  a  cause.    Time  is 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  31 


only  that  in  which  causes  operate.  Time 
has  no  more  power  as  cause  than  space  has. 
The  reliance  of  the  evolutionist,  however, 
is  on  time.  Give  him  time  enough.  Great 
is  time! 

Scioicc  Objects. 

We  will  make  a  brief  survey  of  the  ob- 
jections wliich  science  interposes  to  reve- 
lation. 

Priests  of  science  believe  in  evolution. 
Evolution  is  a  word  they  employ  to  em- 
brace several  conflicting  theories  of  the 
begiiiiiiiigs  of  lliiiigs.  First,  there  is  the 
evolution  lli(viry,  which  assiiiiics  an  iin- 
Uiiowii  and  inikiiowabic  ('ansc  lor  I  lie  ])res- 
enl  order  of  iiatni-c.  Tliis  nnUnown  and 
indaiow  able  ("ansc  is  l:ii<)irii  lo  be  nnknown 
and  nnktiowablcl  W'c  liavc  here  a  coiilra- 
diclion  (»r  terms.  The  i-aiional  genlh-nM-n 
\\'\\n  liohl  Mils  thcor_\  proceed  lo  JnTorni  us, 
in  deiail,  jiow  iliis  ('ansc  began,  and  estab- 
lished the  nin verse.     Thc\    hold,  I  hercrorc. 


32  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

that  they  kiioir  his  operations.  Next,  they 
tell  us  that  the  operation  is  based  upon  an 
"upward  tendency,"  the  lower  forms  be- 
coming; higher  ones;  the  homogeneous,  or 
simple,  becoming  heterogeneous,  or  com- 
plex; the  like  diversifying  into  the  unlike. 
This  process  has  taken  incalculable  ages  to 
accomplish.  According  to  their  theory, 
the  process  should  continue  forever,  until 
the  homogeneous  protoplasm — whatever 
that  means — becomes  one  heterogeneous 
infinitude,  or  more. 

Another  theory  is  the  same,  except  that 
it  arrests  evolution  at  the  threshhold  of 
man.  Another  is  a  combination  of  both 
theories,  and  one  additional,  in  that  it  has 
no  First  Cause.  In  this  theory,  nothing,  a 
few  million  years  ago,  began  to  evolve  a 
world.  If  nothing  did  that  well,  now,  that 
it  has  intelligence,  power,  etc.,  to  co-oper- 
ate with,  it  should  end  by  making  God,  and 
then  many  Gods. 

Another    theorv    is   to    the    effect    that 


The  Bible  mid  Its  Readers.  33 

things  change,  grow,  develop;  hence 
change,  growth,  development,  instead  of 
being  results,  are  causes;  and  we,  and  that 
which  is  and  shall  come  after  us,  are  the 
effects  of  the  causes;  ''causes  which  we 
see  constantly  in  operation  around  us." 

Grant  that  man  exists;  grant  that  that 
which  testifies  to  the  existence  of  man  is 
not,  in  its  root,  a  lie;  that  is,  grant  that 
you  are  not  a  delusion  and  a  cheat,  it  fol- 
lows: 

1.  That  man  is  eternal- -never  began, 
and  ncvci-  will  cease;  or, 

'2.  That  l)efore  he  was,  he  made  him- 
self; or, 

.*>.  That  man  uas  made  l>y  the  ('"irst 
Cause. 

The  Mist  pi<)|»(»sil  i<iii  I  will  not  aM<Miii>t 
to  explain.  It  is  oim'  theory  (»!'  <1(»<|.  The 
second  one  is  rout  ladidory  ami  iiii|»ossible. 
The    third   o?i<-  is   left    foi-  ialii»ii:il     minds. 

ivxclise  IIS  because  we  a<eepl  I  lie  third 
]U*oposition.     Retwe<Mi  man  as  eleiiial,  both 


34  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

as  to  past  and  future,  aud  man  as  nothing 
creating  himself,  and  as  to  man  being  made 
by  the  Eternal,  we  accept  the  last  hypothe- 
sis. 

Roll'uKj  (111(11/  (I  fStone. 

It  is  presumed  that  man  is  here!  For 
all  practical  purposes,  man  can  be  fully 
studied  without  any  reference  to  his  origin. 
If  it  could  be  demonstrated  that  man  began 
in  protoplasm,  he  would  require  the  same 
food,  clothing,  shelter,  education,  etc.,  that 
he  does  now.  If  chemists  could  make  proto- 
plasm and  start  it  on  its  way  to  evolve  a 
man,  when  the  man  arrived,  after  count- 
less ages,  or  after  twenty-four  hours,  he 
would  be  the  same  creature.  He  would  be 
man.  The  laws  by  which  man,  as  an  indi- 
vidual, or  as  a  community,  must  be  gov- 
erned in  his  relations  to  the  universe,  are 
just  the  same  upon  any  theory  of  his  ori- 
gin, supposed  or  supposable.  If  we  believe 
an  utter  absurdity,  as  that  man,  before  he 
had  any  existence,  said  to  himself  "Be," 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  35 

and  thus  became  man  as  he  is,  would  still 
be  the  same  for  all  purposes  of  science. 
Nay,  even  the  question  of  what  relation  he, 
who  became,  sustains  to  him  who  said  "Be," 
man,  as  a  product  to  man,  as  a  creator, 
would  still  remain. 

It  requires  men  having  a  peculiar  gift 
to  dispute,  in  hot  terms,  about  the  age  of  a 
skull,  while  indifferent  to  the  moanings  of 
pain  all  around  them;  to  dispute  whether 
a  splinter  from  a  rock  is  50,000,  or  50,000,- 
000  years  old,  while  undisturbed  by  the 
march  of  famine  and  pestilence.  Peace! 
There  are  skulls  with  brains  in  them  that 
demand  attention.  Peace!  It  is  the  same 
splinter,  under  any  theory,  or  under  none. 

Let  mail  and  the  earth  be  accepted  as 
facts;  it  is  not  necessary  to  have  a  theory 
of  creation  in  order  to  love  man  and  serve 
him,  nor  to  make  the  earfli  minister  to  his 
good.  Wlx'tber  man  asks  for  bread  for 
body  or  mind,  it  can  be  given  without  first 
stopping  to  loll  away  a  stone  from  I  he 
tomb  of  the  past. 


36  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 


Here  is  uiau  with  great  needs,  none  of 
which  can  be  supplied  by  studying  him  as 
protoplasm.  The  Bible  presents  man  to  us 
as  man.  The  sight  presents  him  the  same. 
A  glance  at  man's  history  shows  man  suc- 
ceeding man,  as  far  back  as  the  Eternal. 
No  one  can  see  a  break  in  the  procession. 
This  is  not  studying  man  with  an  hypothe- 
sis. The  last  look  you  can  take  is  of  a  man 
in  the  form  of  man. 

First  and  last,  therefore,  the  Bible  view 
of  the  physical  man  is  that  which  attests 
itself  to  the  universal  history  of  man.  It  is 
not  an  hypothesis.  It  is  demonstrable 
fact. 

"No  man  liveth  to  himself." 

A  world  of  mere  phenomena,  all  events 
bound  together  by  an  inflexible  law  of 
cause  and  effect,  is  a  dead  machine.  The 
human  heart,  which  must  not  be  left  out  in 
the  consideration  of  any  subject  affecting 
man,  refuses  to  believe  in  a  universe  with- 
out purpose  and  will. 


"  It  is  as  easy  to  close  the  eyes  of  the  mind  as  those  of  the 
body."— Butler. 


CHAPTER   III. 

TPIE    AFTEK-DINXEK    THEOEY. 

It  is  conceded  and  deplored  by  the  Tem- 
ple and  the  Church,  that  there  is  a  growing 
disbelief  in  the  Bible.  A  favorite  explana- 
tion of  the  fact  is  that  this  is  due  to  sin. 
To  many  people,  sin,  instead  of  itself  need- 
ing explanation,  explains  all  mysteries, 
oven  jicconnting  for  the  pangs  and  death 
of  nil  ;iiiim;ils,  na  well  ;is  iiuiti. 

'riicic  is  MO  sill  I'oi-  wliicli  ;iiiy  iu;m  needs 
reject  ilic  r.ihie  lo  coiriiiiil,  I'oi'  there  is  no 
sill  that  is  not  comniil  ted  by  belie\('fs  in 
the  Hible.  AiioiIh'T  e.\pl;iiialioii  is,  that 
there  is  ;i  coiillict  b«'t>veen  science  and  the 
Jiibh'.  In  ;i  snbse<|neiit  cha])ter  (his  will 
be  explained.  In  the  nie;intinie,  suHice  it 
to  sav  that  there  is  no  conlli<t  belw«'e?i  the 


2M«  i  I  I  I 


38  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

real  Bible  and  real  science.  The  conflict 
is  on  false  issues. 

A  third  explanation  is,  that  the  Bible 
gives  unworthy  views  of  God,  which  offend 
the  moral  sense  of  man,  and  will  offend  it 
more  and  more  as  his  moral  sense  devel- 
opes. 

The  after-dinner  theory  of  inspiration, 
that  every  sentence,  word,  syllable,  and 
letter  in  the  Bible,  is  the  word  of  God,  from 
His  Throne,  is  largely  responsible  for  the 
rejection  of  the  whole  Bible.  That  foolish 
theory  maintains  that  one  must  accept  the 
whole  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God,  or  reject 
it  all.  No  sane  man  believes,  or  can  be- 
lieve, that  all  the  Bible  is  inspired.  There 
are  falsehoods  in  the  Bible,  words  of  bad 
men,  and  even  of  good  men  in  bad  moods. 
Hence,  the  man  who  still  believes  is  com- 
pelled to  reject  the  after-dinner  theory. 
Many  people  never  make  a  revision  of  their 
belief,  but  steadily  scorn  the  whole  book. 
This  theory  of  inspiration  is  the  fertile 
parent  of  infidels,  atheists,  and  agnostics. 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  39 

A  careful  analysis  of  the  arguments  of 
"infidels"  against  the  Bible  will  show  that 
thej  are  based  on  a  high  conception  of  the 
character  of  God.  The  thought  of  an  eter- 
nal hell  made  Col.  Ingersoll  frantic;  the 
same  thought  made  Jonathan  Edwards  re- 
joice. (The  mistake  Mr.  Ingersoll  made, 
is  in  not  appreciating  the  joy  to  the 
Edwards'  minds,  of  which  class  there  are 
many.)  When  any  doctrine  hurts  a  man,  he 
will  let  go  of  it. 

The  fact  that  God  can  reveal  himself  to 
man  at  all,  presupposes  that  man  can  un- 
derstand the  revelation,  and  is  capable  of 
recognizing  libels  against  ITis  character. 
Besides,  the  Bible  conldiiis  hitih  revelations 
of  Ills  (iltrihiitrs,  which  <<»nl  radict  the  mon- 
strosities to  which  we  have  referred. 

Thrrc  CoHcciilioiis  o\    (lod. 

There  aic  I  h fee  Liciieral  coiic('|>t  ions  of 
Cod.  Tliei-e  is  the  coiicritt  ion  that  lie  is  an 
enlar;^e<l  man,  li-jhtini:  for  iis  when  we  ai-e 


40  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

his  triomls,  and  against  ns  when  we  are  his 
enemies.  He  seeks  his  will,  and  the  only 
law  he  recognizes  is  to  do  what  i)leases 
him.  He  is  very  easily  displeased.  Those 
who  accejit  this  conception  can  readily  be- 
lieve that  if  a  man  is  a  friend  of  such  a 
God,  he  nmy  deceiA^e  man,  cheat,  lie,  even 
murder,  and  say  he  was  commanded  by 
God  to  do  so;  he  may  do  any  crime  in  the 
universe,  and  say  that  God  approves  it, 
provided  the  crime  be  committed  against 
an  enemy  of  God.  This  is  the  God  that 
tells  a  man  to  kill  his  son,  and  when  the 
mau  has  become  the  murderer  of  his  son 
in  intent,  can  change  the  fact,  and  prevent 
its  outward  expression.  He  catches  a  goat 
in  a  tliickot  as  a  substitute.  But  he  must 
have  blood — he  loves  the  smell  of  blood. 
He  sees  the  bleeding  victim,  and  takes 
pleasure  in  its  agony.  He  can  take  pleas- 
ure in  the  death  pangs  of  doves  and  lambs. 
He  is  simply  the  hnifal  and  murdfrous  in- 
stincts of  man,  icritten  large,  and  lawless,  and 
poweA'fid. 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  41 

He  is  i-f strained  only  by  lack  of  power. 
People  liaviuji  iron  eh  a  Hots  are  too  strong 
for  him.  (Jiidoes,  1:11).)  That  is,  he  dies 
when  civilization  sets  in.  He  is  still  the 
God  of  the  savage  American  Indian;  of 
the  Cherokees  and  Cherokee  preachers. 
'W'itii  refinement  of  tiuelly  Ixtrdering  on 
the  infinite,  some  conceive  this  God  to  have 
a  toi'tiiic  hole  for  ills  enemies  in  the  eter- 
nities. 

Conceiving  that  this  creature  is  the  God 
revealed  by  the  Bible,  men  of  heart  reject 
this  liook.  He  is  not  the  (Jod  of  tlu"  Bible. 
Mail,  ill  his  Itlackcst  and  grossest  moods, 
made  this  iiorr<»r.  WIm-h  iti:iii  is  sci  on  lire 
with  lyiii^.  Ilidt.  Inst,  iialc,  :ind  war,  h<' 
caiinol  rc\«';il  (!od.  I0\  <'r_\  I  liiiig  In-  says  of 
(Jod   liicn  is  Calsc,  lihclfius,  lilasplirnioiis. 

L'.  Til  ere  IS  I  Ik'  r(ni(C|»t  ion  I  li;i  I  <  !od  is  a 
fjiiinrc.  lie  nndcrlook  lo  iiiakc  ni;iii  in  His 
iina;:c,  [Ov  niaii's  good  jiiid  Mis  l:Ioi\.  Tiiis 
ima;;*'  of  Cod  roil  on  ilic  first  cncoiinler 
wilh  c\il.     This  first    man   Icii  as  easily  as 


42  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

any  mau.  No  man  ever  fell  before  he  was 
encountered  by  temptation.  No  man  could 
fall  into  temptation  before  he  was  tempted. 
Well  did  Paul  say  of  Adam,  that  he  was  of 
the  earth  earthy.  Then,  either  God  did  not 
succeed  in  making  man  in  His  image,  or 
the  image  of  God  is  not  what  it  is  supposed 
to  be.  The  conception  of  God  as  a  failure 
is  not  in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis.  In 
the  third  chapter  the  Creator  is  repre- 
sented as  having  made  man,  issued  him 
commands,  which  man  broke.  The  Creator 
cursed  man,  the  ground,  the  serpent,  all 
concerned.  Grant,  with  some  commenta- 
tors, that  the  ground  was  cursed  for  man's 
good.  This  recognizes  the  necessity  of  the 
curse,  only  shifting  its  purpose.  The  fact 
is,  that  the  Creator  here  is  represented  as 
disappointed,  angry,  defeated,  at  least  tem- 
porarily. Suppose  He  promised  that  man 
would  issue  in  final  triumph.  This  proph- 
ecy cannot  come  to  pass  if  sin  is  not 
utterly  destroyed.    If  God  did  not  purpose 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  43 

sin,  something  has  happened  contrarj-  to 
His  purpose.  Suppose,  then,  that  God  does 
promise  triumph  over  the  serpent.  This 
promise  is  of  no  importance  if  the  serpent 
can  defeat  God.  If  the  serpent  overthrew 
God's  plans  for  one  instant,  he  was  the  su- 
perior of  God  for  that  instant.  There  was 
then  no  God,  for  the  serpent  was  upon  the 
Throne  ruling  man,  defeating  God.  If  the 
serpent  was  ever  the  superior,  the  victor 
over  God,  he  will  always  be,  for  God 
changes  not!  This  is  Serpent  Worship. 
This  leaf  is  no  part  of  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures. It  is  false  to  the  whole  tenor  of 
those  S(  iij»tures.  No  where  else  is  it  even 
intimated  that  the  Eternal  God  is  in  a  los- 
ing conflict  witli  a  serpent,  or  thai  He  is 
endcavoiiii'j,  to  rccov**!'  groiiiKi  already 
lost.  Tliis  leaf  Moated  in  fcoiii  an  (Hilside 
tradition.  No  in;4<'nui(y  of  man,  wliellier 
the  story  be  taken  literally,  mystically,  or 
allegorically,  can  show  that  it  does  m»t  put 
man  as  a   batth'field,  wliei-eon    ICvil   is  tri- 


44  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

unipliant,  without  A^alid  reason  to  believe 
that  it  will  ever  be  otherwise  than  triumph- 
ant It  is  the  worship  of  Evil.  It  is  the 
religion  of  China. 

3.  There  is  the  scientitie  conception  of 
God.  His  master  is  Law.  It  is  unchange- 
able. It  made  nature,  or  it  is  nature.  God 
is  chained  and  gagged,  and  helpless.  He  is 
not  even  large  enough  to  be  chained.  He 
is  tied  up  with  pack  thread,  and  cannot 
break  a  thread  of  it.  He  cannot  make  a 
puff  of  wind  only  as  Law  permits  him  to 
do  so.  If  Law  says,  "take  some  jelly,  work 
cycles  of  time  and  make  man,"  by  so  say- 
ing Law  galvanizes  a  sort  of  life  into  this 
baby  God,  and  He  goes  mechanically  to 
w^ork,  moving  as  Law  leads  Him. 

The  first  chapter  of  the  Bible  stands  God 
above  and  out  of  Nature,  making  the  uni- 
verse with  as  much  ease  as  a  boy  blows 
soap  bubbles.  That  God  is  worth  some- 
thing. He  spoke  the  world  into  existence 
for  man,  and  he  will  look  it  into  nothing- 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  45 


ness  if  it  ever  gets  in  man's  way.  He  can 
make  evil  to  serve  Him,  out  of  the  darkness 
bringing  light,  out  of  its  bitterness  bring- 
ing the  sweetness  of  sympathy  and  the 
healing  of  mercy;  revealing  Himself  more 
fully  because  of  evil,  and  when  He  is  done 
making  it  serve  man,  He  can  throw  it  in 
the  face  of  the  sun  and  burn  it  like  a  gnat. 


"To  love  truth,  for  truth's  sake,  is  the  principal  part  of  hu- 
man perfection  in  this  world,  and  the  seed  plot  of  all  other  vir- 
tues."—Locke. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GOSPEL   TEADITIONS. 

The  popular  use  of  the  word  Bible, 
means  a  translation  in  the  vernacular;  but 
all  modern  standard  translations  of  the 
Bible  contain  things  that  are  not  at  all  in 
the  originals,  which  are  mistaken  for  a 
part  of  the  Bible.  For  instance,  the  open- 
ing words  in  the  English  Bible  are,  "The 
first  book  of  Moses  called."  These  are  an 
interpolation,  without  any  authority  in  the 
original.  These,  together  with  "The  sec- 
ond book  of  Moses  called."  "The  third 
book  of  Moses  called."  "The  fourth  book 
of  Moses  called."  "The  fifth  book  of  Moses 
called" — all  interpolations,  are  commonly 
understood  to  mean  that  the  Bible  claims 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  47 

that  Moses  was  the  author  of  these  five 
books.  The  Bible  makes  no  such  claim. 
Tradition  asserts  these  books  to  Moses; 
but  the  validity  of  a  tradition  is  one  thing, 
and  the  validity  of  a  claim  made  by  the 
Bible  is  another  thing,  quite  another!  The 
discussion  has  been  shifted  so  that  unin- 
formed people  believe  that  an  attack  on  the 
Mosaic  authority  of  tlie  Bible  is  virtually 
an  attack  on  the  Bible. 

In  the  margin  of  the  English  Bible  cre- 
ation is  dated  B.  C.  4004.  Geology  has  at- 
tacked tliis  date  successfully.  Many  have 
tlioiight  tliat  tliis  attack  sweeps  away  the 
Bible.  I(  docs  iioi  touch  tlic  l>ibl«'.  There 
are  no  cliroii()l()<^i(;il  notes  in  (he  margin 
of  file  original  liilde. 

The  references  a,  b,  c,  d,  etc.,  in  (he  Eng- 
lish P>i}»]e,  are  no  |>;ir(  of  (he  Bible.  Occa- 
sionally ii  refei'cnce  h;is  some  heiiring  ujum 
a  text,  but   nsiuilly  the\   ;ii'e  misleading. 

It  is  (iMie  that  the  ofigiiKils,  (hemselves, 
(lilTer     in     m;iny     |(la<'<'S.      These    <lilTerent 


48  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

readings  do,  iu  some  cases,  affect  the  sense, 
but  ill  no  case  do  they  affect  the  central 
thought  of  the  Bible,  that  God  is,  that  man 
is  his  creature,  and  that  God  is  in  the  des- 
tiny of  man. 

It  puzzles  many  to  understand  why  there 
are  so  many  disagreements  regarding  the 
teachings  of  the  Bible  among  scholarly  and 
pious  men,  who  are  quite  certain,  each  for 
himself,  and  not  one  for  the  other,  that 
his  views  are  exclusively  and  authorita- 
tively tauglit  in  the  "Infallible  Book." 
Little  disagreements  are  becoming  more 
and  more  ignored,  not  settled,  as  the  com- 
mon sense  of  mankind  comes  to  the  rescue, 
as  to  feet  washing,  ornaments,  hats  on  or 
off  during  service,  the  color  and  texture  of 
priestly  robes,  the  style  of  hair  to  be  worn, 
singing  hymns  or  psalms,  the  use  of  instru- 
ments of  music  in  divine  worship,  the  pos- 
ture of  the  body  iu  public  prayers.  Ink  is 
still  shed  copiously  by  some  on  these  top- 
ics, but  bones  are  not  now  broken,  nor 
human  blood  spilled. 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  49 

However,  there  are  fundamental  differ- 
ences among  recognized  Bible  expounders 
regarding  the  teachings  of  the  Bible  on 
mighty  subjects  and  vast  problems.  Is 
God  a  person,  two  persons,  three  persons? 
How  many  Gods  are  there?  Is  there  a 
Goddess  also?  The  mother  of  God?  Have 
the  plans  of  God  failed?  ^Yill  they  fail 
eternally?  Or  are  plans  being  carried  out 
according  to  decrees  which  go  so  hard  with 
the  majority  of  mankind?  Or  will  all  be 
saved  finally?  Is  Satan  a  person,  a  prin- 
ciple, a  personification  of  evil?  W<*11, 
about  evil,  how  did  it  come?  When?  In 
a  pre-existent  state?  Who  is  to  blame  for 
it?  Is  Satan  more  tlian  a  match  for  Deity? 
^\'ill  lie  li;l\('  the  li»»ii's  slijil'c  wIicTi  the 
si)oils  if  h;it(I<'  ;ii('  dixidccl?  Is  iiinii  free, 
or  necessitate* I?  Is  111:111  siivcd  by  faith 
alone?  1)\  fjiilli  .itid  \\<»rl<s?  by  I  lie  <!('- 
crecs  of  God?  Is  .Icsiis  (!od  iiiinsclf?  or 
e(|nal  witli  God?  or  onc-tliiid  p;iil  of  the 
Trinity?    oi-    (Jod-TiiMii?    or    iii;iii-<  lod?    or 


50  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

mere  man?  Is  the  spirit  entitled  to  the 
pronoun  he?  or  it?  Is  the  Bible  the  voice 
of  God  from  His  Throne,  in  every  text,  sen- 
tence, word,  syllable,  and  letter?  or  does  it 
contain  the  word  of  God?  Is  it  inspired 
in  streaks?  Does  it  teach  all  worth  know- 
ing about  religion  and  science?  or  about 
religion  only?  What  is  the  meaning  of 
death,  heaven,  hell,  paradise?  How  many 
states  after  death?  One,  two,  three?  What 
day  of  the  week  is  the  Sabbath?  Does  "to 
create"  mean  to  make  out  of  nothing?  or 
to  form  out  of  pre-existing  elements?  Has 
man  a  soul?  Is  it  immortal?  Is  not  im- 
mortality conditional?  What  about  the 
resurrection  of  the  body? 

None  will  dispute  that  the  Churches 
teach  conflicting  doctrines.  That  each  sect 
denies  that  the  other  teaches  the  whole 
counsel  of  God;  but  modestly — so  mod- 
estly— claims  to  do  so  itself.  Each  claims 
its  doctrines  are  in  the  Bible.  If  we  sum- 
marize this  Judgment  of  the  sects,  they  tes- 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.         51 

tify  as  a  whole,  that  the  Bible  teaches 
different  and  conflicting  doctrines.  Now, 
if  each  sect  is  doing  its  best  to  understand 
and  teach  the  Bible,  the  Bible  is  either  the 
most  difficult  book  possible  to  be  under- 
stood, or  it  does  teach  conflicting  doctrines. 
To  say  that  the  sects  are  not  doing  their 
best,  is  to  impeach  human  nature  in  its 
best  representatives.  The  Jewish  Sect,  the 
Roman  Sect,  the  Anglican  Sect,  the  Lu- 
theran Sect,  contain  the  best  and  wisest 
men  in  the  world.  It  is  not  true  that  any  of 
them  are  willfully  misteaching  the  Bible. 
It  is  impossible  for  us  to  escape  the  conclu- 
sion that  the  Bible  contains  conflicting  doc- 
trines. Some  r)f  the  wisest  and  best  men 
on  oartli  conscientiously  hold  doctrines 
wliifli  coiitlict  with  \vh;it  (ttlicrs  of  the 
wisest  and  best  ('(nisciciit  ioiisly  hohl,  and 
tlu'y  all  cite  t<'xts.  Sonic  ol'  t  licsc  men 
wonld  <s(i  l<»  the  staUc.  Men  have  g(me  ex- 
nltingly  to  death  f(»r  ccrlain  d(Mtrines; 
others  have  gone  as  cxnltingly  for  opposite 


52  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 


doctrines.  They  all  glorified  in  their 
knowledge  of  the  truth  until  flames  licked 
up  their  lives. 

How  often  do  we  meet  professors  of 
Christianity,  who,  more  like  gladiators 
than  followers  of  the  meek  and  lowly 
Prince  of  Peace,  contend  about  the  dot  of 
a  letter,  or  the  use  of  a  preposition,  as  if 
the  whole  world  depended  upon  the  result. 
It  cannot  be  denied  that  some  of  the  wisest 
and  best  men  on  the  earth  conscientiously 
hold  doctrines  which  are  irreconcilable 
with  the  doctrines  of  others  who  are  their 
equals  in  every  particular,  and  that  each 
party  especially  affirms  that  its  doctrines 
are  according  to  the  Word  of  God.  What 
does  this  mean?  It  means  that  the  Bible 
actually  contains  the  main  doctrines  of 
both  parties. 

Any  doctrine  is  the  Word  of  God  which 
lifts  man  out  of  subjection  to  the  flesh,  out 
of  bondage  to  sin,  out  of  "fear  that  hath 
torment,"  into  wise  and  loving  service  of 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  53 

man,  and  into  fellowship  with  the  Beauti- 
ful, the  Wise,  the  Merciful,  and  the  Good. 

Since  the  minds  of  men  perceive  from  so 
man}'  points  of  view,  that  book  is  the 
holiest  and  wisest  which,  so  to  speak,  best 
adapts  itself  to  the  angels  of  vision,  reflect- 
ing the  view  which  each  person  most  needs 
in  order  to  poise  his  soul  and  make  him 
strong  to  conquer  self.  I  believe  the  Bible 
is  that  kind  of  book. 


"Prove  all  things;  hold  fast  to  that  ■which  is  good."— Padl. 


CHAPTER   V. 

DIFFERENT  THEORIES  OF  INSPIRATION. 

Only  a  cursory  inspection  of  the  Bible  is 
required  to  find  that  it  claims  that  Two 
Voices  talk  to  man;  one,  the  Voice  of  God, 
the  other  the  Voice  of  Evil.  The  Voice  of 
God  is  represented  as  speaking  truths,  to 
be  believed  and  obeyed;  the  Voice  of  Evil 
as  speaking  falsehoods,  to  be  disbelieved 
and  disobeyed.  Not  only  are  the  Two 
Voices  represented  as  speaking  directly  to 
man,  but  the  Voice  of  God  is  represented 
as  speaking  through  good  men  to  man,  and 
the  Voice  of  Evil  as  speaking  through  evil 
men  to  man.  It  is  apparent  that  the  say- 
ings of  good  men  should  not  be  classified 
with  the  sayings  of  evil  men.  The  lies  of 
evil  men — there  are  many  of  them  in  the 
Bible — are  given  to  be  rejected. 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  55 

From  this  paragraph  and  the  preceding 
one,  it  follows  necessarily  that  there  are 
many  things  in  the  Bible  which  man  must 
disbelieve  and  disobey,  or  suffer  the  conse- 
quences; that  there  are,  and  must  be,  in 
the  nature  of  the  case,  essential  and  funda- 
mental contradictions  in  the  Bible,  and 
that  there  is  an  Inspiration  of  Good,  and 
an  Inspiration  of  Evil  in  the  Bible. 

We  now  present  Paul  as  a  careful 
thinker  of  the  Scriptures.  He  defines  the 
Holy  Scriptures  to  be  "Every  Scripture  in- 
spired by  God,  and  profitable  for  doctrine, 
foi-  r('i)r()<>l',  for  conviction,  for  instruction 
ill  righteousness."  (2  Tim.,  3:1(5.)  This 
(h'fiiiitioii  roiiiiiH'uds  itself  to  reason,  and 
is,  \\i(li;il,  i»r;i(ii<;il.  That  Scripture  is 
holy,  is  (Jo(l-l)r(';illi('(l,  which  brings  a  man 
into  <'omiiiunioii  with  the  Father,  and  into 
loving  servi(«'  of  iii;iii.  'IMiis  definition  was 
poniMMl  ])rior  to  Uk-  coniiiosition  of  a  hirge 
l»art  of  the  New  Testament,  but  it  is  the 
statement  of  a  iirinciplc  which  is  line  for 


56  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

all  time.  That  Scripture  is  unholy,  unin- 
spired, which  causes  a  man  to  ignore  God 
and  to  wrong  man;  it  is  from  evil,  its  root 
lays  hold  on  dense  darkness,  and  its  fruits 
are  bitterness  of  soul. 

This  rule  is  simple,  and  can  be  tested.  It 
is  presunjed  by  us  that  the  converse  of  the 
definition  is  so  plain  that  Paul  did  not 
think  it  necessary  to  state  it.  Every  Scrip- 
ture that  is  not  profitable  for  doctrine,  for 
reproof,  etc.,  is  not  Inspired  by  God. 

Then  it  follows  that  the  Scriptural  idea 
of  truth,  as  Paul  understood  it,  if  we  under- 
stand him  aright,  is  not  in  the  verbal 
phraseology,  but  in  the  power  to  quicken 
the  life  of  God  in  the  soul  of  man. 

A  thing  may  be  literally  false,  and  yet 
quite  true  in  this  sense.  For  instance, 
"The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,"  is 
literally  an  impossibility,  yet  they  do  give 
us  an  idea  of  the  glory  of  God,  which  we 
feel  to  be  true.  The  heavens  tell  the  glory 
of  God  as  a  flower  tells   of   beauty.     The 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  57 

world  manifests  the  eternal  power  and 
Godhead  of  the  Deity  as  the  sun  manifests 
light. 

Grant  that  God  has  made  a  written 
revelation  to  man.  It  must  have  been 
written  in  human  language,  and  according 
to  man's  view  of  things.  Then  physical 
facts  will  have  been  communicated  accord- 
ing to  their  forms,  or  appearances. 

iSouK'  ^^iiiiijlr  Truths  nhuut  Lduyuayi: 

It  is  impfjssible  to  speak  or  write  even 
one  intelligent  sentence  concerning  God, 
without  using  woi'ds  which  apply  ])ri- 
iiiarily  to  man,  or  the  world.  Only  those 
who  liav<'  never  considered  tliis  jd'oposit  ion 
think  that  this  necessary  use  of  words  l»y  a 
speaker  or  wrilei-  |>r(»\('S  that  he  believes 
that  God  is  man,  iiiatlei-,  or  foi-c*-.  \e\er- 
theh'ss,  a  hirge  lib]-ai-\  wouhl  be  i-e(|iiire(| 
to  contain  all  the  b(»oks  which  haxc  been 
7)nblished  <'onten(ling  (»l  herw  ise.  Not  only 
is  it  necessary  to  speak  or  write  of  (okI  in 


58        IThe  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

words  primarily  applicable  to  man,  or  the 
world,  but  it  is  necessary  to  speak  or  write 
of  all  other  subjects  in  the  same  manner. 
Whether  we  will  or  not,  man  is  the  center 
of  thought  conception  and  language,  and 
all  things  are  more  or  less  humanized  in 
our  conceptions  and  utterances.  We  can- 
not communicate  a  thought  relative  to  the 
world  without  using  words  which  have  and 
can  have  no  meaning  apart  from  the  senses 
and  faculties  of  man.  Not  only,  therefore, 
is  God  humanized  in  thought,  conception, 
and  forms  of  expression,  but  all  other  sub- 
jects are  likewise  so  humanized.  Take  the 
simplest  idea  in  the  world,  according  to  the 
materialistic  dictum  of  things,  to  wit: 
Force.  What  does  man  know?  What  can 
he  say  of  Force,  except  as  it  impresses  him 
through  his  senses  and  faculties? 

Write  the  shortest  possible  sentence  of 
God.  God  is.  Both  these  words  have,  pri- 
marily, reference  to  human  language, 
which  is  based  and  rooted  in  man's  senses 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  59 

and  faculties.  Attempt  to  put  an  intelli- 
gible meaning  in  God,  and  you  begin  to 
give  it  "power,"  of  which  you  could  have 
no  conception  without  your  muscular  and 
nervous  systems,  and  your  will.  You  now 
add,  say,  "wisdom."  What  would  you 
know  of  Avisdoii)  without  relating  it  to  the 
operation  of  mind?  You  add,  say,  "good- 
ness," "love."  I'hese  all  have  no  base  of 
meaning  to  man  apart  from  a  foundation 
in  man. 

Take  "is."  Does  it  mean  exists?  Plainly 
it  is  rooted  in  man,  and  the  world.  Does 
"God  is"  imply  what?  Then  the  answer 
to  "wliat?"  carries  ahmu  more  i(h'as,  wliicli 
W(*  could  not  even  have  without  being  what 
we  are, 

\\'liil('  it  is  true,  as  stated  iu  llie  opening 
sentence,  it  is  ;ilso  liin'  lli;il  if  ;iu  authoi- 
phiinly  shows  thai  he  iuleuds  to  liuiil  his 
meaning,  to  the  lirsl  use  (»('  words,  Im-  must 
be  lieM  to  tench  th;it  <!«mI  is  uuiii,  oi-  uiat- 
ter,  or  torce.     Hut  no  author  shouhl  hv.  held 


GO  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

to  such  a  view  except  on  his  own  showing, 
by  his  limitation  of  words  to  their  primary 
signification.  It  is  manifestly  unfair  for 
one  to  maintain  that  the  use  of  words  im- 
plying seeing,  hearing,  etc.,  should  always 
be  used  in  their  first  sense.  That  people 
know  better  is  evident  from  the  fact  that 
they  do  not  accuse  one  who  speaks  of  na- 
ture as  seeing,  hearing,  etc.,  of  believing 
that  nature  has  human  eyes,  ears,  etc. 

The  question  arises,  could  God,  even  if 
He  took  a  pen  in  His  hand  and  wrote  every 
word  of  the  Bible,  set  Himself  down  clearly 
and  fully  in  it?  Is  it  large  enough  to  con- 
tain the  Infinite?  Is  human  language  in 
one  book,  or  in  all  books,  capable  of  ex- 
pressing the  Absolute  and  Limitless  One? 
If  human  language  is  finite,  imperfect,  it 
cannot  reveal  the  Infinite  perfectly.  Since 
man  and  nature  are  also  both  finite,  they 
lie  under  the  same  disability.  There  is  as 
much  obscurity,  imperfections,  and  so-called 
contradictions,  in  man  and  vatiirc  as  in  the 
written  revelations  of  (iod. 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  61 

For  example,  uo  man  can  reconcile  the 
tooth  and  daw  of  a  lion  with  the  tooth  and 
hoof  of  a  sheep. 

We  stand  in  the  presence  of  mystery, 
with  or  without  the  Bible.  Do  you  say  that 
sin  explains  such  divergent  texts  of  nature? 
The  answer  is  easy.  First,  sin  itself  needs 
explanation ;  secondly,  sin  has  not  changed 
the  tooth  and  chnv  of  the  lion.  Do  you  say 
that  sin  brought  sulfering  and  death  into 
the  world?  It  is  not  true.  Even  if  it  were 
true,  why  sliould  man's  sin  inliict  suffering 
and  death  upon  beasts,  that  are  incapable 
of  sin?  1'he  answer  is  still  easier.  Tlie  lion 
liiiiiself  suffers  i»ain  and  deatli,  and  his  en- 
joyment should  uol  be  considered  alone. 
^\'ll;ll  mIm»iiI  I  lie  p:iiii  cd'  his  victim?  Men 
wrih'  glildy  oT  IIm-  ;i(l;i|»I;ilion — the  proof 
of  wisdom  in  il  til  ilic  ciiiiiiNcioiis  beast 
to  seize  jiiid  i\  i  1 1  ils  pley,  hill  o\-erlool<  (lie 
want  oC  ;i(l:i  pi:iiioii  in  (lie  prey  <o  protect 
itself.  Do  yoii  s;iy  lli:il  siinVrinu  ;ind  dentil 
are  essen(i;il  lo  picxciil   (lie  "o<(juj)ai)cy  of 


62  The  Bible  ayid  Its  Readers. 

the  world  by  the  lower  orders  of  exis- 
ence?"  The  statement  is  tiatly  denied. 
Vegetables  are  removed  without  pain.  It 
is  conceivable  that  the  sheep  might  have 
been  so  made,  as  when  the  crisis  came  to 
enjoy  being  eaten  as  much  as  his  eater  en- 
joys eating  him.  Do  you  answer,  finally, 
that  the  capacity  to  enjoy  pleasure  carries 
with  it  the  capacity  to  suffer  pain?  The 
answer  is.  You  have  placed  pleasure  and 
pain,  in  the  nature  of  things,  where  they  be- 
long, and  have  dropped  sin  as  the  cause  of 
pain  and  death. 

If  we  have  shown  that  nature  has  its 
mysteries  also,  we  are  ready  to  proceed, 
merely  intimating  that  mysteries  which 
exist  in  nature  are  not  altributed  to  the  Bible 
hy  candid  and  thoughtful  people.  The  Bible 
has  imported  no  mystery  into  the  universe, 
but  it  is  an  attempt  to  explain  mystery. 

Suppose  that  (lod  could  and  did  write 
himself  down  fully  in  the  Bible,  has  man 
the  capacity  to   understand   the  writing? 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  63 

Yes?  Then  what  is  the  meaning  of  the 
Babel  among  the  Sects? 

It  is  patent  that  in  order  for  one  to  as- 
sert that  there  is  a  conflict  between  the 
utterance  of  any  bool^  in  regard  to  facts, 
and  the  utterance  of  nature  in  regard  to 
the  same  facts,  one  must  understand  what 
both  the  books  and  nature  affirm  in  the 
premises.  While  it  may  be  safely  held  that 
it  is  a  difficult  thing  for  one  person  to 
understand  the  allegations  of  the  Bible  re- 
garding facts,  it  may  be  safely  held  that  it 
is  a  more  difficult  thing  for  one  person  to 
understand  the  allegations  of  the  Bible 
thereon  mid  the  allegations  of  nature. 

The  theologian  may  pretend  to  know 
much,  but  the  ]>ri«'st  of  science  pretends  to 
know  viislly  Miorc.  Tlic  liibic  is  ji  large 
subject.  The  Bibh'  mid  N'Mliirc  :i  Inrger 
subject.  It  is  possildc  one  iiuiy  iiiiike  a 
mistake  in  both,  not  to  s;iy  in  cither.  It  is 
certjiin  lli;it  lln-  r.jMc  hriniis  no  new  diffi- 
cnlty   ini((   lininiin     tlioiiulil    oi-  concept  ion. 


64  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

The  origin  of  the  universe?  the  nature  and 
destiny  of  man?  God?  who?  what?  where? 
how  many?  are  fundamental  problems, 
and  they  exist  where  there  is  no  letter  of 
the  Bible. 

There  is  as  much  difference  between  the 
tooth  of  a  lion  and  the  tooth  of  a  sheep, 
viewed  singly,  as  between  any  two  texts  in 
the  Bible.  That  speaks  of  blood,  the  inflic- 
tion of  suffering,  savageness;  this  of  peace, 
the  reception  of  suffering.  No  one  makes 
the  mistake,  however,  of  denying  the  ex- 
istence of  either  tooth.  The  earth  is  full 
of  discordant  texts.  It  puzzles  the  wise  to 
relate  them  harmoniously.  To  intimate 
that  the  sin  of  man  has  changed  the  tooth 
of  the  lion  is  absurd.  Whether  or  not  man 
sinned,  the  lion  would  tear  flesh  and  eat 
suffering  victims,  buffering,  itself,  is  a 
mystery. 

Wise  or  unwise,  the  Bible  claims  to  be 
an  effort  to  explain  these  matters.  In 
thought,  strike  the  Bible  into  nothingness. 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  65 

You  are  yet  there  with  your  past,  present, 
future,  and  the  world  is  yet  there,  and  God 
yet  is,  or  Not  is!  We  protest  with  all  our 
might  against  any  one  attributing  to  the 
Bible  problems  that  exist  in  the  nature  of 
things. 


"  A  wise  man  will  weigh  evidence   the  more  carefully,  the 
more  important  the  subject."— Whatkly. 


CHAPTER   VI. 

LET    THE    FACT     STAND. 

Beresliith  is  the  first  word  in  the  Bible. 
It  is  translated  "In  the  beginning,"  instead 
of  "In  beginning."  The  difference  between 
the  two  conceptions  is  vast.  That  refers  to 
time,  this  to  action;  that  seems  to  justify 
people  in  hunting  a  date,  this  gives  an  ex- 
cuse for  such  useless  and  fruitless  work. 
It  was  that  erroneous  "the"  which  led 
Usher  to  cipher,  and  his  poor  ciphering  is 
responsible  for  the  date  affixed  to  creation 
in  the  English  Bible  B.  C.  4004.  Some  men 
seem  to  think  that  the  Bible  is  responsible 
for  the  date,  and  that  Geology  has  im- 
pugned the  Bible,  when  it  has  impugned 
only  an  interpolation.  Little  did  those  men 
who   wrote  "bereshith"  dream    that  "how 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  67 

old  is  the   earth?"  would    become  a  vital 
question. 

It  is  philosophically  possible  that  matter 
is  only  a  various  form  of  force;  but  the 
Bible  does  not  say  so,  nor  attempt  to  give 
the  hoic  of  its  genesis  any  more  than  the 
when.  A  wise  book,  this  Bible!  If  it  had 
said  absolutely  that  matter  was  created 
out  of  nothing,  these  objectors  would  have 
had  reasons  satisfactory  to  themselves  to 
reject  it;  if  it  had  said  absolutely  that  mat- 
ter was  not  created  out  of  nothing,  men 
who  thought  that  ought  to  be  the  mode  of 
creation,  would  have  had  difficulties  to  en- 
counter, flence,  as  a  fact,  the  Bible  says 
nothing  decisively  <ni  the  subject.  It  stead- 
ily avoids  i-aisiiig  iimiecessary  questions. 
If  iimiecessaiy  (|uestionH  be  raised  by  the 
liiiiii:iii  intellect,  it  leaves  llieiii  iiii- 
unswered. 

The  learned  lell  us  lh:it  b'reshitli  is  a 
Hubstnutive  femiiiiMe  willi  femiiiiue  termi- 
nation Hh — prefix  It     root,  /">>/'.     The  word 


68  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 


heads,  in  (Gen.,  2: 10)  is  the  plural  of  rosh; 
and  the  primary  idea  of  rosh  is  motion.  It 
is  evident  that  Usher  was  misled  by  the 
"the"  in  the  English  Translation. 

"In  beginning"  refers  to  action^  not  to 
time.  There  was  neither  tick  of  clock,  beat 
of  pulse,  nor  ebb  of  tide,  by  which  to  com- 
pute time. 

"In  beginning"  simply  means  commenc- 
ing. Whether  the  earth  w^as  made  6,000  or 
6,000,000  years  ago,  is  of  no  vital  impor- 
tance. It  is  the  same  earth;  it  seeds  the 
same  and  grows  wheat  the  same,  no  matter 
tclien  it  came  from  the  creative  act  of  God. 
If  the  disciples  of  Usher  desire  to  squabble 
with  the  disciples  of  Lyell  as  to  its  age, 
there  is  no  law  except  common  sense  and 
duty  to  man  against  it. 

If  the  earth's  precise  age  to  a  day  could 
be  ascertained,  there  would  be  nothing 
added  to  the  stock  of  knowledge  but  a  date. 
Oh!  the  little  things  which  disturb  man. 


"The  best  preacher  is   the  heart;  the  best  teacher  is  time; 
the  best  book  is  the  world;  the  best  friend  is  God." — Mishna. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

There  are  three  views  as  regards  how 
the  Bible  should  be  received.  One  that  the 
Priests,  or  Church  recoguized,  are  the  ex- 
pouuders  thereof.  This  view  sets  the 
Priests,  or  Church,  above  the  Bible. 

The  second  view  is  that  laymen  have  the 
right,  and  it  is  their  duty,  to  compare  what 
the  Cliui'ch  teaches  with  tlu^  Bible,  and 
wliaL  the  itible  says  is  authoritative.  This 
view  sets  the  Bible  uj)  above  man. 

The  third  view  is  that  man  has  the  right, 
and  il  is  his  duly,  hi  judge  I  he  contents  •»!' 
the  Bilde,  whether  I  hey  !»(•  true  or  lulsc 
This   view   sets   iii;iti   ;iiM»ve   Ihr    iJihh'. 

All  n.'iliniis  h;ive  Iheji-  Tdhh-s,  cillier 
oral  or  written,  'rime  hiiiius  the  idcii  of 
sacrediiess,  the  i(h';i  of  sinicdiM'Ss  blinds 
mjinv   to  faults.      Thcit-  ;ire  dilTeroucfs  of 


70  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

opinion — honest  and  intelligent  diiferences 
of  opinion — held  bj^  thousands  as  to  the 
real  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  It  is  folly  to 
attempt  to  extinguish  reason  and  stifle 
conscience  by  an  appeal  to  a  text  of  any 
book.  If  a  book  teaches  what  is  unreason- 
able the  teaching  is  false,  though  it  be  ac- 
companied by  thunder  and  threatenings 
and  what  not! 

During  the  history  of  the  Church  there 
have  been  two  parties,  one  endeavoring  to 
prevent  the  people  reading  the  Scriptures, 
which  they  proclaim  to  be  the  Word  of 
God,  and  the  other  demanding  that  the  peo- 
ple read  them.  The  former  admits  that 
the  Scriptures  are  difficult  to  understand, 
the  latter  assert  that  the  Scriptures  are 
very  plain — that  "a  wayfaring  man,  though 
a  fool,  need  not  err  therein."  We  admit, 
with  the  former,  that  the  Scriptures  are 
difficult  to  understand,  but  we  deny  that 
"one  faith"  means  "one  doctrine"  or  "one 
creed."     The  root  of  the  word  translated 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  71 

faith  is  obedience,  and  the  idea  is  of  obedi- 
ence to  God's  moral  laws.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  the  Old  Testament  that  warrants 
the  notion  that  a  man  is  to  be  saved  or 
damned  b^'  his  opinions,  nor  in  the  New 
Testament.  It  is,  "1  was  hungry,  and  ye 
fed  me,"  etc.  It  is  not,  "You  had  the  true 
set  of  dogmas." 

The  Bible  is  not  a  systematic  Theology. 
Christianity  is  a  life,  not  a  creed! 

The  Bible  was  not  given  so  much  to  af- 
fect the  head  as  to  inspire  the  heart;  he 
knows  all  of  it  worth  knowing  who  loves 
(jod  and  his  neighbor — he  knows  less  than 
nothing  of  it  who  hates  man.  One  who 
was  a  great  teacher  viewed  from  any 
standpoint  represents  Ood  as  judging 
men,  not  by  tlicir  cn'ods  or  rituals  or  no- 
tions, but  hv  their  deeds  of  kindness  and 
acts  of  mercy. 

A  tendency  in  iiuin  to  conceive  of  God  is 
in  harmony  with  man's  character.  Said  a 
Greek  satirist,  Xenophanes,  "Mortals  think 


72  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

the  gods  are  born  and  have  shape  and 
voice  and  raiment  like  themselves." 

According  to  our  view  of  the  Bible,  that 
conception  which  is  best  suited  to  bring  you 
to  God  will  mold  you.  Possibly  you  may 
have  first  one  conception,  then  another, 
then  another.  If  you  change  thus,  the 
Bible  will  change  to  you. 

That  it  is  wrong  to  murder,  is  true.  It  is 
not  wrong  to  murder  because  the  Bible  for- 
bids it,  but  the  Bible  forbids  it  because  it 
is  wrong.  Right  and  wrong  existed  before 
the  first  word  of  the  Bible  was  written. 
The  utmost  that  the  Bible  can  do  is  to  re- 
veal truths.  The  Bible  contains  many 
imperishable  and  incontestable  truths. 
The  question  of  the  authorship,  or  source 
of  a  book,  is  not  the  question  of  the  truth 
if  its  contents. 

That  God  should  reveal  himself  to  man, 
is  not  difficult  to  believe.  The  real  diffi- 
culty is  not  in  believing  that  God  has  com- 
municated to  man,  but  that  he  has  ceased 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  73 


to  communicate.  That  God  did  not  reveal 
himself  to  man  before  the  time  of  Moses, 
or  since  the  time  of  Malachi,  or  of  John  the 
Evangelist,  if  accepted,  must  be  accepted 
by  faith  alone.  That  the  Bible  claims  all 
the  revelation  of  God  which  lie  ha.s  made 
to  man,  is  a  dogma  which  faith  alone  can 
receive.  No  valid  human  reason  can  be 
rendered  thereon. 

The  Bible  wisely  leaves  vagaries  un- 
touched, and  handles  essential  problems. 
It  is  intensely  practical.  It  leaves  a  man 
free  to  accept  man  as  he  is,  and  do  some- 
thing for  him. 

Tiic  main  purpose  of  the  Bible  is  to  alTect 
our  lives;  to  "write  the  laws  of  God  in  our 
hearts."  The  book  being  mainly  ccmcerued 
about,  liow  l(»  live  aright ,  shoiihl  touch  man 
at  all  points  of  his  naliii-c.  The  man  who 
cannot,  be  mo\r(l  hy  a  highci-  iiiolivf,  h't 
him  be  moM'd  by  a  htwci' one,  only  thai  Ik- 
move  forwaixl.  There  are  passages  and  in- 
cidents in  tho  I*ook  of  Lives  that  are  essen- 


74  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

tial  to  a  full  representation  of  human 
nature  at  its  lowest  phases.  These  pas- 
sages and  incidents  were  not  given  to  be 
read  in  public,  or  to  justify  the  ugliness 
which  they  depict.  Those  who  assert  that 
every  word  in  the  Bible  is  meant  for  pub- 
lic reading,  and  the  scoffers  who  assert  that 
low  phases  of  life  should  not  be  given,  are 
equally  in  error.  The  method  of  the  Jew- 
ish Church  concerning  these  matters  is 
based  upon  well  established  facts,  as  well 
as  upon  common  sense.  Paul,  addressing 
the  "brethren"  in  a  public  capacity,  takes 
the  same  ground.  (Phil.,  4:  8:  9.)  "Finally, 
brethren,  whatsoever  things  are  true, 
whatsoever  things  are  honest,  whatsoever 
things  are  just,  whatsoever  things  are  pure, 
whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  whatsoever 
things  are  of  good  report;  if  there  be  any 
virtue,  and  if  there  be  any  praise,  think  on 
these  things." 

"Those    things    which    ye    have    both 
learned,  and  received,  and  heard,  and  seen 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  75 

in  me,  do;   and  the  God  of  peace  shall  be 
with  you." 

Besides  otlier  codes,  a  nation  must  have 
its  penal  code;  it  must  recognize  the  exist- 
ence of  (nery  crime  possible  to  man;  it 
must  deline,  denounce,  and  punish — or 
perish!  The  penal  codes  in  the  Bible  arise 
ont  of  the  human  effort  to  deal  with  man 
as  a  criminal.  Tlie  question  of  the  human 
punishment  for  a  crime  against  man,  is  a 
matter  that  man  has  been  left  to  experi- 
ment with.  Of  course  God  sanctions  all 
honest  efforts  to  prevent  iind  punish  crime; 
that  Moses  meant  no  more  than  a  general 
sanction,  is  a])parent  w  Ikmi  he  accepted  the 
views  of  .feflii'o  in  the  administration  of 
.Justice  ;is  against  some  of  wliicli  lie  had 
ap|»ended  the  name  <)f  the  Lord. 

'riiei'e  Is  nothing;  ^i"a|i))lin^  willi  the  life 
of  man  that  is  nnworthy  (»f  notice  and  syin- 
jtathy  hy  all  iIh-  llea\ens.  .Man,  though 
disfignied  sonie,  is  y<'t  of  <1(mJ  and  in  his 
image. 


76  The  Bible  and  Its  Readers. 

Many  beneficial  results  come  to  us  from 
the  accounts  of  the  wanderings  of  the 
Israelites  in  the  wilderness.  The  divine 
thought  that  God  is  in  the  human  race,  is 
only  an  expounded  form  of  the  thought 
that  God  is  in  one  man,  or  in  one  race.  "Is 
not  one  man  as  dear  to  the  heart  of  the 
Father  as  another?" 

One  good  result  of  accepting  the  story  of 
creation  in  Genesis,  is  that  it  leaves  man 
free  to  do  something  for  the  good  of  his 
fellow  beings,  while  if  it  should  become 
thought  to  be  a  vital  question  as  to  just 
how,  or  precisely  when,  the  earth  was 
made,  there  are  everlasting  problems  for 
men  which  direct  their  minds  into  useless 
channels  of  effort. 

How  the  battle  has  raged  in  regard  to 
the  authorship  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  over 
the  account  of  Moses'  death !  The  one  who 
wrote  of  the  death  of  Moses  was  probably 
some  simple  minded  man,  unable  to  write 
a  book,  but  able  to  pour  out  his  soul  over 


The  Bible  and  Its  Readers.  77 

the  dead,  and  touch  a  tomb  with  hope  and 
beauty!  That  the  J^ord  buried  Moses  can- 
not be  proved,  nor  disproved ;  but  the  Lord 
was  with  him  in  his  last  struggle — that  is 
true.  That  he  cared  even  tor  the  dust  of 
a  man  gives  us  a  glimpse  into  the  Lord's 
heart  worth  more  than  what  all  the  higher 
critics,  and  their  friends,  the  bug-hunters, 
have  said  or  can  say.  ('all  this  epitaph  a 
note  from  an  unknown  author.  It  states 
as  a  ma11<M'  of  fa<-t  what  man  must  needs 
believe,  if  he  would  fr(»ii1  the  world  without 
fear  or  tiinching,  that  the  Loid  will  be  with 
his  servjuit  in  his  hist  gas)»,  and  will  ten- 
derly i<'g;ii(l  I  lie  (lust  from  which  the  spirit 
h;is  uio\(mI  oil. 

The  liiiH'  (dUH's  to  :ill  w  lieu  I  licv  wish  to 
know  I  hcuischcs  ;is  llicx  ;ii-c,  ;ind  th<'r<'  is 
only  <UH'  l*o(»k  we  know  of  fluil  hiys  (he 
liUMKiii  iMMit  Ikiic  wilhoiil  fV;ii'  of  ll;i(l<'i'v 
—that  liool:  is  thr  lilljr.  It  will  sift  Ji  man, 
search  liiin  out,  ;m<l  by  fijish  of  fii'c,  or  thun- 
der pciil,  tlir'e;il,  L:lo(»iiiy  silence,  or  gentle 


78  The  Bible  and  Its  Headers. 


wliisperiuj»'8,  iu  some  way  stir  his  iuward 
world  until  lie  shall  waut  to  "lay  dowu 
arms."  It  does  still  more.  It  declares  that 
God  takes  him  as  he  is,  aud  will  stand  by 
him  as  long  as  he  gropes  upward. 

It  is  good  that  the  Bible  was  written  for 
the  clinging  soul  that  needs  a  God  In- 
vincible; for  the  sturdy,  self-willed  man 
who  feels  strong  enough  to  supplement 
God  in  His  weakness  of  will;  for  the  ten- 
der hearted  brother  who  cannot  have  peace 
in  his  soul  with  the  thought  that  one  is 
lost. 

If  it  were  written  for  either  of  these 
alone,  it  would  not  be  a  book,  but  a  frag- 
ment; it  would  not  have  represented  all 
the  phases  of  thought,  but  one  phase;  it 
would  have  been  accepted  only  by  those 
whose  thought  it  expressed  in  clear-cut 
terms. 

It  is  the  wisest  of  Books,  for  the  very  rea- 
son that  it  is  the  most  many  sided.  If  it 
encourages  your   heart  to  think   you  may 


The  Bible  and  its  Readers.  79 

progress  forever,  that  is  there;  if  the 
weary  look  forward  to  a  peaceful  rest  after 
this  fever  called  "life"  is  over,  that  is  there; 
there  is  no  thought  good  for  man  or  help- 
ful to  him,  in  any  mood,  or  place,  or  con- 
dition, that  is  not  there  for  him.  It  is  good 
that  the  Bible  was  not  made  for  one  creed. 
God  is  in  the  human  race,  and  will  stay 
and  help  in  every  effort  to  rise  out  of  that 
which  hurts,  or  destroys,  or  even  makes 
afraid — His  children. 


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